Introduce your kids to the game of golf.

So you're thinking about introducing your child to golf. But where to start? Who to call? Should you buy those junior clubs or get a used set of adult ones cut down to size? These are the questions that can try parents' souls.

Unlike baseball, football, soccer and other sports, golf is not yet one of those pursuits that you can sign your kid up for at virtually any recreation department and then watch nature and coaching take its course. Unfortunately, there's a lot more legwork involved with this increasingly popular sport. How you address it can make all the difference in the world. If you golf yourself, much of this isn't news to you. But if you don't know a 7-iron from a sand trap, pay attention.

Chances are, there are golf programs and clinics going on in your area that just haven't been well publicized. Contact a local club pro, the YMCA, the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, the golf association of your state and other civic organizations in the vicinity. National governing bodies such as the National Minority Junior Golf Foundation (602-258-7851), the United States Golf Association (908-234-2179), the Professional Golf Association (904-285-3700) and the Ladies Professional Golf Association (904-274-6200) can also be helpful in pointing you in the right direction. The LPGA, for example, in conjunction with the USGA and the Girl Scouts, has a nationwide program that teaches girls age 7 to 17 to play golf and enables them to sample competition in a non-threatening environment. Each member receives the LPGA magazine and is allowed free entrance to any LPGA tournament worldwide. The NMJGF, on the other hand, specializes in offering junior clinics for minority youth across the nation, especially in inner city neighborhoods.

Most junior golf clinics are free and are designed to introduce your child to the basics of golf, ranging from how to grip a club to driving, chipping and putting. Emphasis is also placed on the rules of the game and golf etiquette. As an added caveat, clinics dole out golf apparel, balls and sometimes even golf clubs to its participants. Your child may even be fortunate enough to receive instruction from a seasoned professional golfer.

The Black Enterprise/Pepsi Golf & Tennis Challenge junior clinic has featured Mark Nance, Kenny Simms, Todd Daniel and Maria Mills in the past. This year the clinic will once again be a mini tournament for kids, held on the par-three course. "We're trying to make folks understand that golf is for everyone," says Craug Bowen, who oversees the BE Clinic and who directs the Leadership Promotions Department at Titleist. "Exposure is the key. If kids are exposed to golf they may lose some of those preconceived notions that it's boring."

Plus the young generation now has an African-American role model who is taking the professional golf world by storm. Last April, Tiger Woods became the first black golfer to win the famed Masters Tournament and in June, he became the world's No. 1 ranked golfer. "It used to be that kids wanted to be like Mike, now they want to be like Tiger," says Marcus Williams, project director for the NMJGF. "And to be like Tiger, you have to play golf."

The onus is on parents to gauge how their child feels about the sport. After you've had yours introduced to golf, go to a field and just watch your child hit some balls. Does it bring a smile to his or her face? Does the sport seem to be challenging and enjoyable? If so, the real fun has just begun.

One of the wisest moves you can make at this stage is to hook your child up with a golf instructor. Again, contact the local club pro to get a list of those in your area. With the proper instruction, your child is going to feel more confident and less frustrated with this mentally and physically challenging activity. An instructor can also give you advice on what kind of equipment to get. The consensus is that a 7-iron, pitching wedge and a putter are all that's needed for the beginner. Hold off on the golf shoes and designer clothes. Tennis shoes and play clothes are fine for starters.

Be forewarned, though, that the biggest problem for junior golfers is a shortage of facilities. Clinic organizers are quick to say that they may actually be doing junior golfers a disservice by getting them all excited about the game, only to have the juniors discover later that there aren't a lot of places to play. Very few golf courses are going to want a junior foursome on the course during the busy weekend schedule. And unless you play golf yourself, it could be tricky finding another adult who's willing to play an 18-hole round with your child on a regular basis.

One alternative is that you ask the club pro if there are any slow times during the week that your child can slip on the course to play two or three holes. Frequently, the 2-3 p.m. time slot is available. Also check to see if there are any par 3 courses in the area. The more your child plays, the more the comfort level increases.

Relief could be on the way. Community leaders are starting to realize that with the growth in golf, they need to set up youth facilities that mirror those already in place for soccer, baseball and football. Columbia, South Carolina, for instance,. opened Junior Golf Land last year, an 18-hole facility on which only kids may play until 5 p.m. Adults can use the course after 5 p.m. but they must be accompanied by a child. The recreation department in Leewood, Kansas, has a similar facility.

The other move afoot is the establishing of so-called little leagues of golf. The NMJGF and Florida-based Hook-A-Kid-On-Golf are both promoting such programs. The concept is to form six-player teams of comparable ability and match them up once or twice a week in a head-to-head format. Hook-A-Kid-On-Golf, for one, is sending how-to manuals to golf clubs across the country in hopes that some parent or parent groups will make the league their project. Contact your club pro to see if he has received such information. Or contact the Hook-A- Kid-On `Golf (800-729 2057) or the NMJGF.

Finally, as the competitive juices get boiling in your child, find out what junior tournaments are being held in your area. You may have to travel some weekends, but think of all the joy your child will be getting. That alone is worth the price of gas.

For all the hand-wringing that has gone on over tennis players turning professional too young, the truth remains that the best way to get a child hooked on tennis is to introduce the game early. The best scenario you can hope for is that your infant grows up watching you, your spouse or a sibling playing the game and later starts dabbling with it himself. You can introduce the tools of the trade between age 4 and 5, start them off in lessons from age 6 to 9, and sit back and watch those competitive juices take hold from age 10 and above. Barring that--and rest assured that very few people adhere to the aforementioned timetable--do everything within your: power to keep the game challenging and fun for your child, no matter what age he or she starts out.

"If the parents are gung-ho about tennis and share in the process, that makes learning the game more palatable for a child," says Denise Jordan, Eastern Sectional Coordinator for the United States Tennis Association's Play Tennis American program. "Plus, if the game is seen as fun and recreation, that's a much more positive stimulant.

What you don't want is for your child to see tennis as a chore--something that he or she has to do. The less non-threatening the sport appears to be, the more likely the chances that your child will give it a fair shot.

One of the first things you can do to make tennis fun and challenging is to introduce your child to activities that don't require the participation of another person. How many consecutive times, for example, can your child bounce a ball upwards off a racquet without letting it hit the floor? Or how many consecutive times can your child dribble a tennis ball with a racquet? For the truly adventurous, let your child practice hitting the ball off the garage wall. Or, purchase one of those tetherball tennis sets and turn your budding superstar loose in the backyard. Each of these activities develop hand-eye coordination, and a child with good hand-eye coordination usually does well at tennis.

Another positive reinforcer is to let your child help you buy his/her first racquet. Most sporting goods stores carry a variety of junior models and have staff on hand to answer questions. As your child grows, take heed to adjust racquet size to match his or her body size.

You'll eventually want to put your child in tennis clinics and take advantage of some beginner lessons. Group lessons are generally more fun for beginners than one-on-one instruction. Either way, your primary intention is to insure that your child is exposed to the basics of the game, which in turn will help reduce any frustration that may creep up. Call the local youth and tennis associations to get assistance in identifying the program options in your area.

Keep in mind that one of the good things about tennis is that if your child is weak in one area, he may be able to compensate by developing skills in another area. For example, an obese child may be slow on the court, but may have the strength to develop a good serve. A short child may not have the most overpowering serve, but may be solid in all other facets of the game.

Once a child has taken a few lessons, you may want to think about adding a camp or two to the mix, but do your homework first, says Marcus Freeman, president of the American Tennis Association and head pro and manager at the Keist Tennis Center in Dallas. "Look at the pupil/teacher ratio," he says. "If the pro is expecting 200 kids, you're not going to get much out of it. Your kid will probably end up spending more time with his assistants and the people feeding the balls than they will with him. Talk to other parents about camps they've found to be to their liking.

It may also behoove you to think twice before sending an 8- to 10-year-old to an all-day tennis camp. That extensive a concentration tends to be overwhelming for a young beginner. It's more preferable to find a camp that has other activities in addition to tennis.

No matter how you slice it, though, repetition can make your child a better player. Practicing once or twice a week is recommended for a child. However, if your child aspires to be a top-ranked player, then daily practice and a personal coach are essential.

Deciding on the instructor is key, says Jordan. "The person needs to be non-threatening to the kid. You're looking for someone who encourages them, someone who brings them out of their shell."

If possible, a parent should observe a potential coach as he or she works with other students. Does the coach get along well with the other kids? Is this the type of coach who will fit in with your child's personality? Does the coach stay on the sideline or does the coach make a practice of exchanging volleys on the court with students? Does the coach profess to know the ins and outs of the player rating system? One of the keys to Tiger Woods' success is that his father knew golf's system and guided his son through it gracefully. Tennis can be 10 times as complicated for those vying for national rankings. Who you know, or better yet, who and what your coach knows, can make a very big difference.